"They're dead!"

"All of them…"

"…at least the ones that were marked."

"Captain Gallagher!"

"She can't breathe…"

Jack blinked, clearing the fuzziness from his vision as he felt people surround him, untying him from the chair. Almost collapsing, someone caught him and helped him find his feet.

"Gallagher…" he whispered, clutching someone's shoulder. He realized it was Gibbs, who looked concerned and strangely frightened.

"We're giving her some room to recover, Captain." Gibbs handed him his effects, bandanna and hat as Jack strained to see Terrence's form. All he could see was The Dancing Horizon crew surrounding something.

"What the hell happened?" Jack cursed as he jerkily placed his tricorne hat back atop of his unruly mane, pushing past Gibbs and beginning to fight through the crowd. Staring around the room, he noticed the mass of dead bodies. Their skin was shriveled and decayed as if the life was ripped out of them. Almost to the point of mummification.

Jack sucked in a breath and almost broke through the circle when Anamaria stopped him in his tracks. Holding a hand against his chest, she said, "You don't need to see this."

His eyes widened instantly in dread as he stared upon her shaken expression. "Why the fuck not! Get out of me way. Now."

She gracefully stepped aside, and Jack stumbled upon the inner circle. Gallagher was frozen, curled tightly into a ball, staring at the floor. Her breaths came in short, sputtered gasps. Vomit surrounded her shivering body.

"Why won't somebody help her?" he shouted, taking off his coat to wrap around her.

"She cannot be touched, Captain Sparrow!" Jacobs croaked out, "Her skin is too hot!"

Brookes stepped up to him and said in despair, "Pete tried a couple minutes ago and now he has second degree burns on his hands."

Jack got on his hands and knees to gaze at her pale, sickly face. Her eyes were distant, and her breathing remained unchanged. She heaved silently, desperately sucking in air.

"Terrence, darling…" he said urgently, "Say something."

"Get…me…out of…here…" Terrence responded in a low voice between panting, "Too…strong…power…"

Jack carefully draped the coat over her shoulders. When it didn't burn, he picked her up and cradled her against his chest. "We need ta move before we're arrested."

"Someone will need an explanation for these bodies," Anamaria remarked, kicking one with her boot. It disintegrated instantly.

"Not if there's no evidence left behind," Jacobs replied, holding up a lit torch.

The night air greeted them and Jack instantly felt refreshed as if he lost an anchor that was weighing him down. Once everyone was in the clear, Jacobs held up the torch.

Standing in an alley next to the run-down building, Jack said softly, "Send 'em back to Hell where they belonged."

Jacobs threw the torch and slammed the door shut. They didn't stay long enough to watch the flames lick the wooden frame in inevitability.

Terrence was nestled in her bed as still as death. Brookes and Jack watched her peacefully sleep from the doorway, leaning against the doorframe wearily.

Both ships had long since set sail, escaping Oxbay and the wicked powers it held within dark corners.

"Terrence complained about not feeling well," Brookes began quietly.

"And she didn't stay behind?"

"She was too worried about savin' you, Captain Sparrow."

Jack cursed himself inwardly. Why hadn't he known that it was going to be a set-up? Crowe had rubbed him the wrong way from the very beginning.

"Anyway," Brookes continued, itching the side of his face, "A group of us set out wit' her, and we were searching for an hour or so until we came across that rickety ol' building. We heard odd noises comin' from within, so we bared our weapons." He paused, glancing up at the stars. "Gallagher went first. She kicked open the door, and all I could see were robes and the gel straddlin' you."

Jack winced, clenching his fists. Damn Eden.

"Terrence suddenly snapped, Captain Sparrow. I don't know how to explain it. Suddenly she was glowing and sparking as if lightning was coming from her body, and then everyone was dead." Brookes shook his head, "I…I've never seen anythin' like it."

Terrence had killed all of those people. She had gruesomely sucked the lives out of them. That was enough to scare the hell out of him.

"It's that key, Brookes. It's doing something to her…transforming her, if you will." Jack's hands glided around as he searched for a better explanation. "If she's going to be this Protector, she has to fight fire with fire."

"Well I don't like it," Brookes admitted.

"Me neither, mate. Let's just say I don't find Terrence's new powers very comforting…especially if half the time I'm sleepin' next to her."

Brookes hesitantly grinned, slapping him on the back. "Go check on her."

Jack closed the door to her cabin and tiptoed across the room, sitting at the side of the bed. "Terrence…" He stroked her hair gently.

Pure hatred suddenly flowed through him. Hatred for that key. It was transforming the woman he…well…his woman. Sparrow fell into bouts of self-loathing when things were out of his control, and this moment was added to the list.

As if sensing his change in mood, Terrence suddenly clutched his arm with unbelievable strength.

"Holy hell!" Jack yelled, jumping up. But she wouldn't let go. He watched as his arm, his tattoos begin to turn white from the force of her grip. "Terrence!"

Her eyes flickered open. She sat up in bed, releasing him.

"Terrence…"

She smiled as if nothing was wrong. Her hair framed her beautiful face and fell down to her breasts. Her figure was softly caressed by moonlight.

"How are you feeling, luv?" he asked, his eyes carefully watching her every move. Was he really scared of her?

Terrence roughly grabbed him by the front of the shirt, pulling him down so he lay on top of her. She began kissing him, forcing her tongue into his mouth without permission. He responded with equal enthusiasm until he grasped the entirety of the situation.

Pulling himself away from her, he gazed at her quizzically as she began to laugh hysterically.

"Terrence…" he repeated, touching his bruised lips, "What's the matter with ye?"

She stood up, fully nude, and walked leisurely over to the open window. Jack pulled one of the sheets off of the bed and carefully wrapped it around her. She glanced at him, and he said with a nervous grin, "Wouldn't want anyone to get an unexpected eyeful of me gel, now would we?"

"I suppose not." Terrence sat on her desk and added, "That's why you should lock the door."

Captain Sparrow studied her, stroking his goatee as he backed up and fumbled with the lock. It would be best to do what the out-of-control female wanted.

"Come here," she ordered, rolling her shoulders in an effort to stretch them. Jack took a moment to kick off his boots, shrug out of his overcoat and set down his effects.

"You are devilishly handsome, Captain Jack Sparrow," Terrence whispered seductively, beckoning him closer with a slight movement of her finger.

"Don't have to tell me that one," he retorted playfully, stepping up to her beautiful form resting comfortably on the desk.

"I know something's wrong wit' me…" she began, wrapping her long legs around his lean hips.

Jack let her kiss him feverishly along his neck and chin. As her hands tugged at the sash around his waist, her tongue swirled around his earlobe. His eyelids fluttered shut as he gave into her sexually aggressive ministrations.

"…and I know it's the key. I want to promise that I won't hurt you, Jack, no matter what happens." She peered up at him through her long lashes, "I'll learn to control it."

"But for now…" he groaned, the sudden rush of her power intoxicating him with every touch, every kiss.

"For now," Terrence whispered, "It seems that we're along for the ride."

A/N: Ohhhh snap!